Behaviour Support Specialist - Division Schools

Job summary

Provide specialized behavioural, social-emotional, and mental-health-informed support to students in Grades 7–12 through direct student assistance and consultation with school teams. Build staff capacity and develop sustainable school-based supports, including behaviour, safety, regulation, transition, and re-entry plans.

Job details

BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT SPECIALIST – Division Schools This position is open to all internal and external candidates. Prior to employment, successful applicants must provide supporting documents as outlined on our New Employees page. We are looking to hire a temporary 1.0 FTE Behaviour Support Specialist who will provide support to schools within our division. This assignment is to commence as soon as possible and terminate June 25, 2027. Depending on the qualifications of the successful candidate, this position may be covered by the ATA collective agreement or classified as an out of scope position. The Behaviour Support Specialist will work with our Support Services team. This Division-based position will provide specialized behavioural, social-emotional, and mental-health-informed support to students in Grades 7–12, helping schools respond to increasing classroom complexity and complex student needs. The Behaviour Support Specialist will provide both direct student support and consultation to school teams, with a strong focus on building staff capacity and creating sustainable supports within schools. The Individual The ideal candidate is a dynamic, collaborative advocate for youth who is deeply committed to student success and inclusive education. Grounded in a student-centered, dignity-affirming approach, you bring strong professional judgment and the flexibility to thrive across diverse school environments. You excel at fostering positive behavior through proactive classroom management and build strong, trusting connections with students, colleagues, and parents alike. Comfortable balancing direct student support with consultation, you empower school teams by developing staff capacity, confidence, and shared strategies to create sustainable, division-wide supports. Additionally, you demonstrate a clear alignment with a Christ-centered working environment, with active participation in the Catholic faith considered a valued asset. Minimum Qualifications Post-secondary education in counselling psychology, social work, psychology, education, behavioural sciences, or a related field. A Master's degree is an asset; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered; Experience supporting children or youth with behavioural, social-emotional, mental-health, trauma-related, or neurodevelopmental needs; Strong commitment to Catholic Education; Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both spoken and written; Ability to build professional capacity in teachers; A valid driver's licence and the ability to travel between Division schools; A current satisfactory Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check. Preferred Experience Specialization and previous experience in the development of programming to support students who present with behavioural challenges; School-based counselling or student support; Behaviour, safety, regulation, transition, or re-entry planning; Staff consultation, coaching, or professional learning; Crisis prevention and de-escalation; Restorative practices; Trauma-informed practice; Suicide intervention; Grief and anxiety support; Neurodiversity and complex student needs; Capable of working with a variety of staff in supporting individualized learning opportunities; Knowledge of developing, maintaining and evaluating Instructional / Behaviour Support Plans for students; Experience in collaborating with external agencies / community support programs. For more information regarding this position, please contact the Director of Support Services, Mrs. Crystal Lothian at 403-327-9555 or lothianc@holyspirit.ab.ca. Interested, qualified applicants are asked to apply online with a complete application package by 12:00 pm on Thursday, Octo ber 1, 2026. Application Package Must Include The Following A cover letter addressed to: Anthea Boras, Deputy Superintendent of Schools; Resume and any other documentation which would support your application; Contact information for 3 references; Pastoral Reference Form. Please note: This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We wish to thank all applicants in advance for submitting résumés, however only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. By virtue of the submission of an application, the applicant agrees that the principal or designate can contact previous employers for the purpose of conducting confidential reference checks whether or not the application has listed a reference for that employer.

What you’ll do

Provide specialized behavioural, social-emotional, and mental-health-informed support to students in Grades 7–12 through direct student assistance and consultation with school teams. Build staff capacity and develop sustainable school-based supports, including behaviour, safety, regulation, transition, and re-entry plans.

Requirements

Requires post-secondary education in counselling psychology, social work, psychology, education, behavioural sciences, or a related field, along with experience supporting children or youth with behavioural, social-emotional, mental-health, trauma-related, or neurodevelopmental needs. Candidates need strong communication and staff-capacity-building skills, a commitment to Catholic education, a valid driver's licence, and a satisfactory Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check; a master's degree is an asset.

Listed skills

• Mental Health Support · Preferred
• Classroom management · Preferred
• Restorative practices · Preferred
• interpersonal communication · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Behaviour Support
• Student Counselling
• Social-Emotional Support
• Mental Health Support
• Trauma-Informed Practice
• Behaviour Planning
• Crisis Prevention
• De-Escalation
• Restorative Practices
• Staff Consultation
• Staff Coaching
• Classroom Management
• Suicide Intervention
• Grief and Anxiety Support
• Neurodiversity Support
• Interpersonal Communication

Job areas

• Education
• Social Services
• Healthcare